


Trivial Pursuit

by I_Cant_Write



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Kissing, Logan's stupid brain knowledge, M/M, Miscommunication, Roman is a piece of shit but he doesn't mean to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14718614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Cant_Write/pseuds/I_Cant_Write
Summary: This was how their meetings started, but not how they ended.Logan ranted about various knowledge every night to him, and Patton watched him with an affectionate fascination. He asked questions; he wanted to learn.Logan forgot how good it felt to teach someone.





	1. How It Started

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I think it's time for another fic!
> 
> I've been suffering from a lot of writer's block + graduation, and so I haven't had a lot of time to write. But I still love these guys!
> 
> I'm working on getting some new ships, so if anyone has any fic ideas for any other ships (maybe Logince or LAMP?) I would love to write it, and I would credit you on the idea!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy these dorks, and don't be afraid to comment.
> 
> The first chapter is from Logan's POV, and the second from Patton's.
> 
> ALSO: I was going to upload the second part but it's kinda shit and corny and so I'm gonna fix it first.

It all started when the History Channel had put on a documentary about stars.

Virgil had vanished to his room just after dinner, and Roman had retired hours ago, the only reason he gave being “beauty sleep.”

Logan glanced up from his book to read the clock on the wall. Almost 10:45.

“Patton, I think we ought to go to bed,” Logan hums, his voice low and soft from exhaustion, finishing his page.

As he closed his book, he realized Patton didn’t respond, and Logan’s eyes flicker up again, but to Patton’s face.

He was cross-legged, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, absolutely fascinated with what was on the TV screen. Logan sat up, watching, and heard a voice say, “…and when the white dwarfs are out of radiation to expel, they will disappear into clouds of gas and rocks, a phase called the black dwarf.”

“We’ve never seen a star go into the black dwarf phase, actually,” Logan hums, “They burn through energy so slowly, because they are so small, that we’ve never seen a small star like that actually die and enter the black dwarf phase. And, since they emit no light, it’s very hard to detect the remains of a star in the black dwarf phase.”

Patton’s eyes moved away from the TV and focused on his face.

Logan clears his throat, “We know a lot about the dying of bigger stars. For instance, slightly more massive stars will tend to collapse under gravity, as these did, and then the pressure of the collapse is so intense it causes the helium around the outer edge to ignite again, and the star will swell.”

“And what’s that called?” Patton whispers.

Logan licks his lips, “The Red Giant phase, or Red Supergiant, if it is a more massive star. It is believed our sun will do this.”

Patton’s attention is on him, but he doesn’t really notice; he’s too deep into the explanation.

“The hydrogen in the core fuses into helium, but the heat and pressure are not intense enough to fuse helium into other atoms. So, the inward pressure stops, and gravity crushes the star with little resistance. But, as gravity crushes it, the pressure can become so intense that it causes the hydrogen on the outer layers to ignite again, and even swell bigger than it was before.”

“And what happens after that?” Patton crosses his legs, facing him.

Logan sits up, “As it swells and shrinks as gravity collapses the star and it reignites, and since the gravity is much more focused on the core than the outer layers, the outer layers of gas release into the air into planetary nebula. Then, these stars will do what the smaller stars do: turn to white, then black dwarfs.”

Patton’s rapt attention on him was a little blindsiding. The documentary continued in the background, but Patton paid it no mind.

“Are there any stars that don’t turn to black dwarfs?”

“Of course,” Logan nods, “The bigger stars, far more massive than our sun, will have pressure and heat so intense that it causes helium to fuse into carbon and oxygen, and then even heavier elements. As gravity collapses it each time, the star stays massive enough that the pressure can fuse more elements and cause the star to swell, like the Red Giant phase. However, it doesn’t have enough time to cool down and shrink before it fuses more and more elements: leading it to eventually explode into a supernova.”

“Explode?” Patton’s eyes were shining.

“Yes, and spread elements like carbon, oxygen, iron, and nitrogen, as well as heavier metals that they created while fusing, into the universe. They believe that this is how human beings were formed: from the elements created from supernovas.”

“We’re…” Patton swallows, “Made of stars?”

Logan glances at the clock. Almost 11:00.

“Yes, Patton,” Logan nods, “But it is late. I would be happy to let you borrow a book on the subject tomorrow.”

“Oh, no, that’s alright,” Patton sighs, flipping off the tv, “Those books are too sciencey for me to understand. It’s a lot easier to hear you say it.”

_Easier to hear you say it..._

Damn it, he has an idea. But was it too selfish to ask for Patton’s precious time?

“Then, perhaps,” Logan shuffles, suddenly embarrassed. Why was he embarrassed?

Patton looks up at him, and Logan’s breath catches. 

Patton is made of stardust, he realizes. Glimmering, beautiful, a work of nature so marvelous that, without it, the universe would cease to exist.

He suddenly finds it hard to breathe.

“Perhaps,” he clears his throat, “Tomorrow, we could discuss it further.”

Patton grins, and whispers, “I would love that.”

Patton wraps him in a little hug, and whispers goodnight before skipping off to his room.

Did Logan hear that right? Patton wanted to hear more knowledge that was in his head? Patton wanted to spend time with him, one on one?

He could barely believe it, even though the evidence was right there in front of him. How unlike him.

He feels a blush creep across his cheeks, despite himself, and heads off into his room, ready to read up on every piece of knowledge he had before tomorrow.

That was how their meetings started, but not how they ended.

Logan spewed knowledge every night to him, and Patton watched him with an affectionate interest. He asked questions, he wanted to learn.

Night after night, they sat, comparing theories, Logan rattling off useless facts, like that your foot is the same size as your forearm: things Patton shouldn’t have cared less about, and yet, he came back every night, just as excited as the night before.

Logan had forgotten how good it felt to teach someone. How satisfying it was, how relaxing, to reveal some of the multitudes of knowledge that he had accumulated. How good it felt to stare into someone’s eyes and just know that they thought you were smart.

Patton thought he was smart.

He feels his lips curve into a smile. Patton wanted to learn, to know, to spend time with him. Why does that feel so…warm, inside him?

Listen to him. “Feel.”

Logan steps out into the Commons in the morning, tightening his tie. Only Roman was there, getting a cup of morning coffee.

“Patton’s at the grocery store, he should be back soon,” Roman says, continuing, unprompted, “…he looks tired, this morning.”

“Yes,” Logan opens a cabinet and snatches a mug off the shelf, “Our talk last night went a little longer than I expected.”

“Listen, Logan,” Roman turned, his body blocking the coffee machine, “I want to talk to you about Patton.”

Logan sighs, leaning back against the counter, assuming he wouldn’t get coffee until they talked, “What about him?”

“Logan, buddy,” Roman looks uncomfortable, “I know you have a lot of knowledge to give, and a lot to teach.”

Logan frowns, “…Thank you?”

Roman sighs, “But…” Roman bites his cheek, “Just because you have that knowledge, and just because you want to learn something every day, doesn’t mean everyone else wants to. And, now, Patton is a nice guy, and so I think he’d just deny it if you asked, but…”

“What…” Logan steps back, brows furrowing, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Roman clenches his jaw, “Patton…might just be listening to you to be…” he shrugs, “To be nice, and not hurt your feelings. He doesn’t like to turn people down, or make them feel bad. But let’s not take advantage of that, okay? Maybe don’t rope him into a seminar every night. Not all of us love the pursuit of knowledge.”

Roman stepped away, then, and left Logan standing in the kitchen, alone and confused.

He felt like he’d had a cornea obstruction all this time, and now, he saw their talks for what they were.

Patton had only…wanted to be nice. 

Logan had a domineering personality, it was true, and it was hard for him to accept the word “no”. Had Patton been trying to subtly tell him all this time?

But Patton had enjoyed their talks, learning from Logan…hadn’t he?

The seeds of doubt had been sewn, and no rainstorm could wash them away. 

Look at him. Metaphors. Disgusting.

…Patton made him metaphorical.

He watched in the back of his mind as Patton yawned while Logan told him another fact about the chrysalis of an emperor butterfly. Had he just been tired, or…

Was he boring Patton? Wasting his time?

_Not all of us love the pursuit of knowledge._

Roman was right. Patton was an emotional trait. He didn’t care about Logan’s useless facts.

He put his mug away, and retreated to his room, feeling a hole in his chest that defied biology.


	2. How it Ended

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhhhh boy I sure hope this is good.
> 
> I've edited it a lot to the point that I don't think I can edit it anymore.
> 
> This one is from Patton's POV. I hope you guys enjoy the conclusion!

“Welp,” Virgil lurched off the sofa and to his feet, “Thanks for the dinner and Disney, Pat, but I’d better go.”

“Okay, goodnight Virgil!” Patton waved as Virgil climbed the steps up to his room.

“Yes, thank you for a marvelous dinner,” Roman smiled warmly, “And don’t stay up too late, alright?”

Patton nods, and Roman vanishes up the steps as well.

He pivots to Logan, digging around the sofa for his notes, which he had spent all night taking, on the theories of creation so that they could discuss it today.

Logan was staring at his phone, and not paying attention to him.

“So, Logan,” Patton crossed his legs, “I was thinking about Darwin’s theory, that you were telling me about last night, and…”

Logan wasn’t looking up.

“Hey, Lo?”

Logan sighs, putting his phone away, “Listen, Patton, I don’t have any more facts for you. You don’t have to stay.”

Have to…? What?

He frowns, “Logan? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, fine,” Logan snaps, “We should get to bed.”

And with that, Logan heads up the stairs.

“What…?”

Patton feels crushed. 

He knows Logan would call it irrational. Maybe he was just tired, and not in the mood.

But Patton suddenly feels like Logan’s…cut himself off from him.

Like it was the end of something that had barely begun.

He thought Logan enjoyed teaching him. He could see Logan’s eyes, alight, in the back of his mind, how flushed he would get when Patton would provide a suitable argument against him, how giddy he was when Patton did his research.

Patton sniffs, and places his notes neatly aside, rubbing his eyes vigorously, as if that would keep the tears up inside his eyes instead of streaming down his cheeks.

He should have known.

He knew how much Logan loved knowledge, and thought maybe that would convince Logan to spend some time with him. 

But really, who was he kidding? Why would someone as smart as Logan want anything to do with him?

Over the next few nights, Logan blatantly ignored him after dinner time. It was pretty clear that he was tired of their sessions. 

Patton felt like his heart was being unravelled, like a ball of string, every time Logan didn’t meet his eyes or didn’t stay to talk.

No, more like stripped. Over a cheese grater. Whatever metaphor it was, it _hurt._

He had to figure it out. He had to hear him say it. 

Even if it ruined him, tore him apart. He had to know why.

The other two had gone upstairs, and Logan sighed, grabbing his things, “Goodnight, Patton.”

“Logan?” he asks in a small voice, “Are you mad at me?”

He saw Logan freeze in his tracks and flip around. His face changed completely, from one of nonchalant indifference to hurt.

“Of course not, Patton,” Logan frowned, “Why would you ever think…?”

“It’s just, you…” Patton squirms, “You stopped our nights.”

“Our…” Logan’s head tilts, and he seems confused, “Nights?”

Patton already regrets this. He knew Logan didn’t see them as anything special. He waves dismissively.

“Yeah, where you would teach me stuff, all of that stuff in your head, and I…” Patton shakes his head, his voice cracking, “Oh, forget it.”

“No, I, Patton,” Logan looks like he’s struggling to breath, and he steps toward him, “You…liked those?”

“I…” Patton frowns and looks at his feet, “I…did. But if you were getting tired of them…”

“Not at all,” Logan sits beside him, “I thought…Roman told me…” Logan flushes, “That…I can get a little carried away. That you might just be staying and listening to…” Logan bites his lip, “To…be nice?”

“Lo…” Patton cups his face, “I do everything to be nice,” he smiles, “But I love hearing you talk about stuff you know. You get so…excited, so happy, like you love it. I just love that you look at me like that: like you’re excited, and you love…”

Logan is staring at him.

“I mean!” Patton goes pink, “Well…I mean…” he sighs, shaking his head, “There’s no use hiding it now, is there?”

There’s a small pause, and then Logan bites his tongue, and speaks in a soft voice.

“When you…” Logan shifts nervously, “When you first stayed up to listen to me, I…couldn’t believe, I couldn’t even hope that you wanted to spend time with me. But I loved our talks, Patton. I loved…” he swallows, “Loved spending time with you.”

Patton covers his mouth, frozen, almost unwilling to believe it.

“So he wasn’t just being nice,” Roman chuckles from the kitchen.

They both jerk backwards with surprise, whirling around to face him.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just getting water,” Roman waves dismissively, “Just don’t stay up too late, alright?”

“Goodnight, Roman!” Patton waves, and Roman gives a little wave before disappearing back to his room.

“I’m sorry, Patton, if I made you upset,” Logan straightens his glasses, “I was just…I didn’t want to force you to spend time with me just because I was being…a little selfish.”

“Well, then, do…” Patton pulls out his crumpled notes, “I-I took some notes on the theories of creation a few nights ago, if you wanted to hear them…?”

Logan raises his eyebrows in shock when he sees the pages and pages of crumpled, ~~tear stained~~ notes.

“Patton,” Logan reaches forward and touches them, “This must have taken you…hours.”

“Oh, it was really no…”

He stops at the look on Logan’s face.

Patton flushes, “It…might have taken me all night.”

Logan sighs, “And I just…ignored you, after all of this work,” he laughs humorlessly, and mutters, “I’m an asshole, aren’t I?”

“Hey!” Patton frowns, “Don’t you dare talk bad about yourself.”

“Patton,” Logan clasps his hands in his own, “Can I make this up to you? I know I hurt your feelings. Anything I can do to make it better, I will.”

Anything?

Oh no.

Patton takes a deep breath. He was always one for impulse, anyway.

Logan’s lips were soft, and warm, and Patton’s head is instantly spinning. He tastes like wine and coffee, and ink from the tip of his pen, and Patton just can’t believe Logan’s even letting him do this.

He pulls away, focusing on anything except for Logan’s eyes. After a moment of no response, however, Patton peeks up at him.

Logan was staring, wide eyed, frozen, and flushed, at Patton.

“That was all I needed,” Patton bites his lip, “That was all you had to do.”

“Patton,” Logan swallows, “You know I was teaching you all these things. And I love teaching, but…”

Patton bites his lip.

“…I love learning, even more. Did you know you were teaching me, too?”

Patton smiles, and shakes his head, “You’re not making a lot of sense, Lo.”

“No, really,” Logan swallows, “You…I…You have an emotional intelligence that I don’t have. That I admire. I don’t understand how to feel, what feelings mean, how to read them or interpret them. You were teaching me…” Logan coughs, “About how I felt. About how I felt about you.”

A soft silence, and Logan just…watches his face for any sign of discomfort.

“And…?” Patton swallows, “What was your…conclusion?”

Logan leans in and kisses him, and Patton doesn’t pull away so quickly this time.


End file.
